The Phil-Harmonic Podcast Episode 23 - THAT WAS 2011 - Part 2

THAT WAS 2011 - PART 2

Twas the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… Well, except you, who is very shortly going to be smashing some trance. Yep, I have another crop of the best tunes of 2011 to warm your cockles this Christmas Eve. Last week’s part 1 was good, no doubt, but this part contains 4 of my 5 top tunes of 2011. You’re in for a treat.

For more info on the format, check out last week’s blog.
Let’s get on with it shall we….

THE BEST OF 2011

Following on from my more general review of the year last week, and in addition to the actual Year Mixes themselves, here are just a few personal awards for 2011. This may seem a little self-indulgent (in fact, both review journals are pretty much that), but it’s nicely in keeping with the review journals I used to post on last.fm.

Best House Tunes Of 2011
3. Tiësto & Hardwell - Zero 76
2. Roger Sanchez feat. Mobin Master & MC Flipside - Worldwide (Adrian Lux & Blende Remix)
1. Dada Life – White Noise / Red Meat

Best Trance Album Of 2011
3. Tritonal – Piercing The Quiet
2. Above & Beyond – Group Therapy
1. Orjan Nilsen – In My Opinion

Best Trance/Progressive Producer of 2011
3. Sander Van Doorn
2. Dennis Sheperd
1. Orjan Nilsen

Best Trance/Progressive Label Of 2011
3. Soundpiercing
2. Anjunabeats
1. Enhanced Recordings

Best Podcast/Radio Show Of 2011
3. International Departures with Myon & Shane 54
2. Identity with Sander Van Doorn
1. Trance Around The World with Above & Beyond

Best Set Of 2011
3. Cosmic Gate @ Eden, Ibiza (August)
2. Armin Van Buuren @ Brixton Academy, London (April)
1. Gareth Emery @ Space, Ibiza (August)

Clubbing Highlights Of 2011
3. tyDi playing Arty’s remix of Cosmic Gate - Back To Earth @ Ministry Of Sound, London (February)
2. Armin Van Buuren playing Chris Schweizer’s bootleg of Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400 @ Brixton Academy (April)
1. Above & Beyond playing Arty & Mat Zo – Mozart @ Nation, Liverpool (October)

Personal Highlight Of 2011
Meeting Tony McGuiness of Above & Beyond @ The Group Therapy Boat Party, Ibiza

“One To Watch” In 2012
Chris Schweizer

THE BEST & WORST OF THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 2011

Since I’m here reviewing the year, I thought I’d also take a moment to look back on my podcast’s first year. Overall, it’s been a promising start and, as I hoped it would, it’s really helped hone my skills and push my DJing forward. Here are my own personal highs and lows in the 23 episodes I managed in 2011.

The Best Episode:
On the face of it, my third Ibiza Special, Requests Of The Villa Guests, would seem like an obvious choice. Compared to most other episodes it got significantly more plays and downloads and it was, in Marc Griffin’s own words, ‘Fucking EPIC!’ (And Marc’s an accountant and we all know how difficult they are to excite.) I was slightly worried when putting together that mix that getting 6 friends to independently pick 3 favourites each might make it disjointed or anodyne. I was especially worried when one person chose a track that was 127 BPM and another chose one that was 146 BPM. But in the end, it did fit together fantastically well and it was amazing to see everyone on that holiday sharing in the joy of that set’s interactivity. There are some fantastic memories built into that episode for me now and I can’t wait to do it again next summer. But the memories don’t make it technically the best set.

The episode I’m actually choosing as the best of 2011 was the episode before that one. Episode 13 – unlucky for some but not for The Phil-Harmonic Podcast. It was my Poolside Progressive episode, the second of my Ibiza Specials in August. I’ve never before (or since) had such a clear idea in my head of where I wanted a set to go and what effect I wanted it to have on an audience. And as a musical translation of a clear idea in my head into a flowing mix that fully achieves the mood I intended to set, it’s my best work to date. By some distance. It’s a mix completely unhindered or restrained by any desire to satisfy anyone else other than myself, as the tracks I chose were specifically the tracks I thought would best create the sunny, hangover cure I wanted. Listening to it again recently, it struck me how smooth and effortless it sounded. The pace is steady and unchallenging and despite deliberate moments of melancholy, it’s relentlessly melodic. I especially love the way that, from a very deep, melancholic start, it builds very quickly to a peak but then moves very very slowly the other way. For some reason, it works. It’s exactly what I wanted to put together and couldn’t have hoped to execute it better.

The Worst Episode:
Looking back at the year’s episodes, the weakest episode had to be one of the ‘classics’ episodes I did – Episodes 2, 6 and 17. That may seem surprising. Why would a series of sets littered with a DJ’s so-called quintessential trance records be considered weak by that DJ himself? Don’t get me wrong – the tracks in those sets really are amongst my favourites of all-time. There were many euphoric mind-benders in those sets. But all of them started too fast too early and Episode 2 in particular stayed at the same 140 tempo for far too long. As someone rightly pointed out on the comments for Episode 17, those sets were perfect as ‘end of the night’ club music; as 2 hours podcasts for listening at home, the office, the car or even the gym they don’t necessarily work.

And Episode 2 was the weakest of the 3 – simply because the beatmatching was most wayward, it contained the most mistakes and it stayed at 140 BPM for the vast majority of the set. In the end, I decided not to do anymore of those sets as part of the podcast after Episode 17. These are the kinds of sets I will save for the day when a brave club owner trusts me with the closing set at their trance night – because in those circumstances I would smash the place up. I can but dream.

Remember, all of these mixes are still available to download. Either use the rapidshare links at the bottom of each blog entry or click below to subscribe through iTunes.

Now… on with the tuneage!


THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 023 – THAT WAS 2011 – PART 2

1. EDU & Cramp – Silver Sand
[February / Anjunabeats]
Chosen By: Ben Collier [Room 1ne Sessions]

I honestly hope he doesn’t mind me seeing it this way, but I look at Ben Collier’s monthly trance podcast as something of a bigger brother to my own. Ben’s own selection for 2011 is maybe reflective of the slightly different approach our periodic rides through EDM take, but believe me; every DJ needs their own unique slant on things. EDU & Cramp open up part 2 of these Year Mixes with an idyllic, down-tempo feel that TPHP has often lacked in 2011.

2. Sander Van Doorn presents Purple Haze feat. Frederick – Timezone
[July / Doorn Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #2

Pushing Broken Down very very close for ‘vocal of the year’, this outdid Broken Down on the grounds of originality and an immersive overall mood. Like a fusion of the dark ambience of Bliksem from 2009 and the vocal prowess of the album Elev11's other great single, Love Is Darkness, I essentially sat on YouTube for hours with this on repeat.

3. Ticon – Balkan Tourist
[March / Iboga Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #39

Probably my most left-of-field and most tongue-in-cheek choice of 2011. Going back to Iboga looking for some deeper grooves for Episode 8 of the podcast, I found this gem from Swedish stalwarts, Ticon. Slightly bizarre maybe, but rhythmically addictive.

4. Lee Osborne – Flex
[May / Slinky Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #36

One of those big nasty tunes I like to get my teeth into every so often. This has a riff that absolutely knocks you off your feet and, despite the slow pace, is a definite nod to the nasty, demonic hard house that was once so popular in the UK.

5. Chris Schweizer – Error 404
[September / Dub Tech Recordings (Istmo Music)]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19
Position in Top 40: #38

Chris Schweizer was a name I first encountered last year but little did I know that his productions in 2011 would become staple, big room records for all the top jocks. The riff in this one on its own is enough, but I love the way the bass goes up a notch in intensity after the riff finishes - makes it a joy to mix with.

6. Leibo – Phantomania (Lee Haslam Remix)
[March / Slinky Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 5 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #23

Sometimes a tune just nails it in terms of rhythms and percussion and this one does exactly that. The main hook is a dark, apocalyptic hair raiser, but the rolling, almost seesawing, drums and clicks in this Lee Haslam remix are what made it Tune Of The Episode for TPHP 5.

7. Stacker & RJ Van Xetten - Digital Andromeda (Sergio Maldonado Remix)
[July / Dub Tech Recordings (Istmo Music)]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #34

Was a big fan of Sergio Maldonado’s Back To Square One last year and this remix for one of Heatbeat’s aliases took my appreciation for this guy’s productions onto another level. Actually quite soft and delicate in the breakdown, this remix contrasted that with a devastating electro trouse kick back.

8. Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston - You Got To Go (Kyau & Albert Remix)
[October / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19
Position in Top 40: #33

As amazing as A Thing Called Love and Prelude are, You Got To Go is actually my personal favourite from the album, Group Therapy. In many ways similar to their great remix of Armin’s Down To Love, Kyau & Albert added a really euphoric hook to an already blinding ‘sing-along’ tune, something that could not be said for the mind-numbingly dull Club Mix.

9. Signalrunners feat. Julie Thompson – These Shoulders (Andy Moor Remix)
[January / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 1
Position in Top 40: #26

Amongst all the recent hullaballoo surrounding the 400th episode of Trance Around The World, it’s easy to forget that Anjunabeats celebrated the even more impressive milestone of 10 years as a label in January 2011. This was my favourite of the commemorative remixes that were released, Andy Moor breathing new life into a vocal track that had, to be quite honest, completely passed me by in 2008.

10. Orjan Nilsen – Down The Line
[October / Armada Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 19 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #14

Between The Rays aside, everyone has their own personal favourites from the album In My Opinion – some it seems may even prefer the fabulous Viking. But, from the super-cool main riff down to the cheeky ‘Audio Bullys’-esque sound effect in the percussion, it was Down The Line that did it for me.

11. Heatbeat – Ask The Cat
[July / Soundpiercing]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #11

Another one of those fantastic tunes from Episode 15 that could so easily have taken the Tune Of The Episode crown had it not been featured on the same podcast as Timezone. Heatbeat seem to love doing these very ominous, menacing piano-laden tunes, but, as the name would suggest, there was a distantly playful side to this one – aggressive and malevolent yet funky and fun all at the same time.

12. Matias Faint – Casino Fire (Kent & Gian Remix)
[September / Soundpiercing]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 18 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #28

More electro-tech magic from Soundpiercing in the summer of 2011. A very simple tune in many ways, and a tune that showed that if you do have a simple melody you can still make it work by executing it in the right fashion. A constantly looping punchy bassline, some expert layering of sounds and a huge electro kick back made this a big big hit for me.

13. Andy Moor feat. Sue McLaren – Fight The Fire
[September / AVA Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 16
Position in Top 40: #5

After initially being pretty underwhelmed by this Andy Moor single, it suddenly grew on me by mammoth proportions. A lot of people may prefer the electro stabs and drops of the Norin & Rad remix – I did love that remix too but the way the original handles that chorus in the breakdown is truly spellbinding and spectacular.

14. Arty & Mat Zo – Rebound
[April / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Chosen By: Sam Hind [Underground Selections]

Another one that I wasn’t so sure about at first and I know for a fact that a number of my fellow trance-heads remain unconvinced, despite the heavyweight nature of the artist’s involved. But I think it was after Armin Van Buuren played this in his 4 hour set at Brixton Academy at Easter that I fully appreciated how powerful that drop was.

15. Mat Zo – Back In Time
[January / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 3
Position in Top 40: #15

Mat Zo, as budding a producer as he is, doesn’t normally pull out records that are this euphoric. Those chord combinations are something special.

16. Zombie Nation – Kernkraft 400 (Chris Schweizer Bootleg Mix)
[May / CDR]
***PHIL’S TUNE OF 2011***
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #1

Eventually given away as a free download by the man himself, this was Chris Schweizer well and truly raising the bar for all ‘electro tech trouse’ producers around the world. Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation was one of the first records I ever bought as a teenager so this one already has strong emotional ties for me. But what Schweizer has done to it is nothing short of remarkable. The build up after the first break is just like being beaten in the face with a sledgehammer of pure rhythmic pleasure. Heard in Armin’s set at Brixton and Gareth Emery’s set at Space Ibiza, these were clubbing highlights of epic magnitudes.

17. Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller – Rotunda
[May / Coldharbour Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #4

Admittedly, in terms of the riff itself, this track does sound suspiciously like both Gareth Emery’s Exposure and Ummet Ozcan’s Indigo, but I’m happy to surmise that this is coincidence more than anything. Rotunda though, for me, executes its riff far more effectively than both Exposure and Indigo, and has a track structure that makes it stand out from the crowd. Hearing this tune made my night on 2 separate occasions in 2011.

18. Running Man presents Fifth Dimension – Somewhere
[March / Alter Ego Pure]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #37

A track that will almost certainly have been missed by a lot of people and I guarantee a lot of people will be surprised at how euphoric it is. Very driving, very effective; another one of my more left-of-field picks.

19. Dart Rayne – Sanctum
[October / Trance All-Stars Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 18
Position in Top 40: #19

I originally had Dart Rayne’s Arctic Sunrise down to play as one of my tunes of the year, but in the end, when this came out, I had to concede it was even better. An epic, soaring melody, backed by those haunting choir stabs in the breakdown, this is once again uplifting trance at its best.

20. Aly & Fila feat. Katherine Crowe - It Will Be OK (Arctic Moon Remix)
[June / Armada Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 10
Position in Top 40: #31

Our obligatory (and they are obligatory) Arctic Moon remix for 2011. Released as part of the Rising Sun Remixes album, this was simply a great great vocal given a shot of steroids.

21. Aly & Fila feat. Jwaydan - We Control The Sunlight
[July / Future Sound Of Egypt]
Chosen By: Thanasis T & Sam Hind [Underground Selections]

More from the Egyptian duo here; the hugely popular single with vocalist Jwaydan, We Control The Sunlight. Typically powerful, driving stuff and the vocal is very nice indeed. Voted tune of the year by A State Of Trance listeners.

22. Indecent Noise – Battlestar
[February / Discover]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 4 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #22

Every year there’s always an uplifter with a really simply melody that just sends me a bit west, while everyone else wonders what I see in it. Last year it was Tweak by Mike Nichol, this year it was another route one trancer on Discover Records.

23. Philippe El Sisi – Era
[April / Future Sound Of Egypt]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #24

Another one of these big, haunting melodic tracks that I was quite big on in 2011. The difference with Era is that it has parts that are savagely aggressive, almost like hard house, a nice contrast to the poignant and stirring, if slightly drawn out, breakdown.

24. Terk Dawn - Sunburst
[August / Ask4 Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #18

I had not seen nor heard of Terk Dawn since his belting remix of Sean Tyas’s Candida in 2007. A full 4 years later he boshed out this little beauty which is just a fireball of surging melody. At this point in the mix I’m just bombarding you with melodic goodness.

25. Sean Tyas – Banshee
[January / A State Of Trance]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 1
Position in Top 40: #32

And finally, it’s fitting that we end proceedings for 2011 where it began – not just with a tune that only squeezed into 2011 by 3 days, but one that featured in the very first Episode of the Phil-Harmonic Podcast. The only track from the ‘king of uplift’ this year that followed the ‘Lift formula’ to the letter. And dare I say it; Banshee has a better kick back than Lift, Drop or Melbourne. Blasphemy, you say!

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And that’s it. TPHP is done for 2011. Musically, consider it well and truly nailed. Before I go, a big thank you to everyone who has listened to the podcast this year, particularly Ben Collier, Ally Auld, Simon Harris, Banys Giedrius, Menno Meijer, Rene Dale, Chris Newell, Sam Hind, Damilola Oni and all those that took part in choosing tracks for either That Was 2011 or Request Of The Villa Guests in August.

January is going to be a busy month for me, with Uni reunions, birthday celebrations and whatnot. It’s going to be difficult to fit in a podcast. So to save myself the panic, and to give me more time to put together something good, I’m bringing the podcast back on the 11th of February. As you can probably tell, I could do with a little break from it anyway.

So, until then, have a very Merry Christmas and trance-filled New Year. Thank you, goodnight, much love!

The Phil-Harmonic Podcast Episode 22 - THAT WAS 2011 - Part 1

THAT WAS 2011 - PART 1

Welcome one and all,

Here we are at last! With the end of the year fast approaching, this week’s TPHP is the first of two significant parts. Over the course of the next two episodes, I will present to you my favourite 40 trance and progressive tracks of 2011, plus 11 other great tunes from this year as chosen by listeners and friends of this podcast.

Simply put, I have 5 hours of trance music coming up for you, divided neatly down the middle into 2 well-rounded, carefully ordered sets. I’m also going to take the opportunity to use this blog to review the year as fully as I can without boring the arse off everyone. Wish me luck!

As always, if ever you get bored of my ramblings fast-forward straight to the end of his entry where a SoundCloud widget is waiting. Also, if there’s too much info going on in the tracklist below for you to handle, go straight to my SoundCloud page for a more condensed, manageable tracklist.

As I’ve mentioned before, reviewing the musical year is something I’ve done for a number of years now through my last.fm journal. It is one of my favourite parts of the festive period. Initially though, those journals were more about reviewing the best electronic albums of the year and less about trance specifically. But, my musical focus has shifted so much from music collection to DJing in the past 2 years that the days when I was totally up-to-date with the full electronic music spectrum are long gone. And now the ‘review of the year’ concept itself has had to make the jump from Addicted2Melody last.fm journal to Phil-Harmonic blog.

In addition to a journal, I did full Year Mixes for each of the last 3 years. They are my ‘That Was’ series. 2008’s was 25 tracks, 2009’s was a bit longer again. In 2010 I did a full 3 hour set, only to follow it up with an ‘Even More Of 2010’ mix not long after. This is the first year that ‘That Was’ becomes part of my podcast and, straight away, two 2 and a half hour sets seemed like the logical format for it.

But doing a podcast for most of the year has made the process of putting together ‘That Was 2011’ that much easier. Because I’ve included every ‘Tune Of The Episode’ from each regular episode I’ve got a much clearer, more balanced cross-section of the year. And asking for people’s suggestions was a good idea too, because I’ve been able to match those suggestions against the personal lists I already had. In some cases, those suggestions have brought something entirely new to be table and made sure these 2 episodes aren’t just a mindless regurgitation of everything you’ve already heard in this podcast.

THAT WAS 2011

So, what has 2011 been like?

Well, if someone asks me in 10 years time what my abiding memory of 2011 is, I’m sure the answer will be, ‘Ibiza!’ Not just Ibiza but, as I talked about in my review of that holiday, clearing up the unfinished business that was the relative disappointment of Ibiza 2009.

Getting ill out in Ibiza in 2009 and the festering disillusionment that gave rise to did have me questioning whether my clubbing days were coming to an end. The idealism that poured out of my last.fm journal turned to pessimism and vitriolic cynicism. I started to feel like it was about time I was the other side of the DJ booth and that, if that wasn’t likely to happen, maybe I should get my pipe and slippers out. Interestingly, 2009 was actually a truly amazing year for trance music – I just wasn’t in a very good place from a personal perspective and the clubbing disappointments, for whatever reason, were numerous.

But clubbing-wise, 2011 was such a spectacular return to form. And not just Ibiza either. My first night at Ministry in February, Armin at Brixton Academy in April, even Cream’s 19th Birthday in October had its moments. Who knows how long that will continue into 2012, but right now I’ve not been this excited by the world of trance clubbing since my Syndicate days in Bristol.

No doubt, that’s a more personal angle on things, but at the same time I can sense that rising and, in some cases, returning enthusiasm for trance music across the world. A State Of Trance 500 earlier this year was a big eye opener for me. It was a big statement of trance’s current popularity, particularly the speed of its growth over in the US. Trance Around The World 400 replicated that buzz later in the year. It was a year for milestones, and the global trancefamily turned out in force to celebrate.

Yet, as far as I can tell, it still refuses to get fully sucked into the mainstream like it did in the late 90s. There are elements of it that run parallel to the mainstream, which make it accessible and flexible, but it still remains fully outside it. Radio One did briefly latch onto Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond for their daytime playlist, but the masses appeared unmoved and these singles made only a modest impact on the nation’s consciousness.

It was also interesting that much later in the year (only very recently, in fact), Radio One decided it would drop Judge Jules as part of its weekend entertainment billing. I’m no fan of Judge Jules personally. In fact, I think he’s an arrogant arsehole who has an open disregard for the audiences he DJs in front of. If you like, trance’s ungrateful ‘rock star’. But the removal of the only specific trance show on the biggest radio station in the UK not only showed that Radio One are grossly out of touch with the fact that trance is rising in popularity globally, but also that, conversely, trance is still considered an ‘unmainstream’ type of music, a cultural side road, by the people that spoon-feed the UK masses.

Which again, for me, is only a good thing. There’s a reinvention going on here that was as evident in 2011 as it ever has been. A reinvention of trance music, and in some cases certain branches of house music, as a benevolent counter-cultural force with inclusive and not exclusive values. Its values are separate from the mainstream, but the scene itself is not a closed shop and not tearing itself apart from the inside. It’s fluid, it’s flexible, and it’s open-minded. This is an idealistic view, but one that has been reinforced in me during 2011.

And the idea that these values are inclusive, as opposed to looking to pigeonhole people for being or looking a certain way, is backed up by the way in which trance and house have moved closer and closer to each other in 2011. There is a recurring theme in dance music (and it occurs in all music scenes) that one style is meant to hate another and that one genre or sub-genre is aimed specifically at a certain type of person.

Yet, the way in which trance has generally slowed in pace and become more ‘bassline-driven, while house music slowly becomes more and more melodic in the breakdown, shows that there is a conscious desire to make both styles of music more interchangeable and versatile, to not be pigeonholed and tied to a sub-genre. Marco V, Sander Van Doorn and, to an extent, Gareth Emery are all playing (and even producing) house music and it isn’t harming their stature within trance music like it might have done in the past.

Many DJs in their DJ Mag Poll interviews, including Above & Beyond, lorded the continued demise of sub-genre boundaries and that in itself is testament to the growing sense of inclusivity and family spirit in dance music across the board.

David Guetta summed it up himself this year when receiving his No. 1 DJ crown:

“I think it’s a very positive moment for music. Everything is kind of getting mixed. Trance sounds into house music, house music into trance….Our music, doesn’t matter if its techno, trance, electro or house, we’ve never been as strong, EVER in history.”

Now, I wasn’t particularly impressed with Guetta being voted number No. 1 DJ and I gave my two cents about it in this very blog. Guetta, being a bit of a whore to the mainstream himself, got that award for reasons other than his DJing ability. But, that said, he’s absolutely right about the state of dance music in 2011.

The secret, David, is opening it up as much as possible without letting the masses take it over and ruin it - to make the music accessible without diluting it or pandering to sections of the public’s laziness and lack of individualism. As I mentioned in my ‘Stocking Filler’ blog, house music did make one of its cyclical moves towards the mainstream in 2011; time with tell whether trance’s borrowing from house music will drag it fully into the spotlight.

There is another way to look at this blending of genres though. It did cross my mind that rather than smashing down those genre boundaries we have just created a new sub-genre - Electro Trouse. Although trance can boast a very wide spectrum these days, it’s this very specific fusion of trance, house and electro that is ruling the roost. When it’s done well it certainly is amazing and it’s really enhanced trance as a type of clubbing music in my opinion. Big rhythmic drops are what we need on a dancefloor.

But I’m also wary that a good number of these tunes are relying too heavily on the electro elements and not enough on the melodic trance ones. I’ve just heard too many tracks this year that at the initial bassline drop have you thinking ‘this is gonna be amazing!’, only to fade into complete mediocrity by the breakdown. Simple melodic structures can of course work, but sometimes they just haven’t been executed as well as the basslines or percussion elements. Some of these tunes are just too forgettable and they don’t help the already short shelf-life of releases.

I really hope that I’ve managed to steer clear of these ‘hero-to-zero’ type tunes when putting together my own podcast in 2011. Obviously, only you can be the judge. And I hope the two Year Mixes that follow here (first now and next on Xmas Eve), do justice to the incredible year that was 2011.

And with that, I give you the first part of my Year Mixes…. Ladies and gentlemen, this was 2011!


THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 022 – THAT WAS 2011 – PART 1

1. Jochen Miller – One Day
[June / High Contrast Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 11 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #29

2011 was a very mixed year for one of my absolute favourite producers, but this went back to Jochen Miller basics, delivering a riff and an usual vocal cut that really hit the spot.

2. Kenneth Thomas feat. Roberta Harrison & Steven Taetz - Drive (Save The Robot Remix)
[March / Perfecto]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 10
Position in Top 40: #35

A superb, if slightly cheesy duet vocal, makes this track. The Ryan Mendoza remix was also fantastic, but the chunky tribal rhythms of the Save The Robot remix were better designed for dancefloor destruction.

3. Stoneface & Terminal – Here To Stay
[February / Euphonic]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 3
Position in Top 40: #7

Already being a big fan of Moment and Don’t Give A F*ck, it didn’t take long for this huge electrified monster to make an impression on me. The breakdown is the perfect serene contrast to the massive kick back that follows.

4. Shogun feat. Melissa Loretta – Skyfire
[August / Armind]
Chosen By: Banys Giedrius

A track hugely typical of the kind of sound that is popular at the moment – a cracking riff and kick back accompanied by a big electro bassline either side of that. A big club tune!

5. Tritonal feat. Meredith Call - Broken Down (Shogun Remix)
[April / Air Up There Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #8

In my humble opinion, the best individual vocal of 2011, one that lyrically I think anybody can relate to. Shogun’s remix, like his reworking of Another World, proved that a tune can be hugely euphoric without going for the proverbial jugular.

6. Sander Van Doorn - Koko
[April / Doorn Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Chosen By: Will Hoad & Simone B

Less ‘chosen by’ and more ‘chosen for’ this one, as nothing gets a party started for Will and Simone like this tune. Every clubbing holiday has a soundtrack and, thanks to them, our constant whistling, humming and singing of this tune made this our Ibiza anthem of 2011, hands down!

7. Creep feat. Romy – The Days (Super8 & Tab Remix)
[August / Young Turks]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 16
Position in Top 40: #40
Chosen By: Ally Auld

Trust Super8 & Tab to take just about any vocal and make it into an absolute bomb. Not a vocal you would normally expect to hear in a trance song, but here it really works.

8. Protoculture feat. Shannon Hurley – Sun Gone Down
[July / Re*Brand]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #17

Had this vocal stuck in my head for days and days when I first started hearing it on other podcasts. And the psychedelic bassline in this one makes a very refreshing change from the generic stuff we are used to.

9. Orjan Nilsen – Between The Rays
[July / Armind]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 15
Position in Top 40: #9
Chosen By: Banys Giedrius & Thanasis T

Orjan was a man on fire in 2011 and this was undisputedly his best work from the album, In My Opinion. Putting a very fresh, more modestly paced twist on his euphoric material of yester year, this was one that got everybody going.

10. Gareth Emery – Citadel (Super8 & Tab Remix)
[March / Garuda]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #27

Super8 & Tab worked their remix magic once again and turned what was already a pretty solid Gareth Emery track into something not far off a softer, euphoric Elektra reworking. The Finish duo absolutely made this track their own.

11. Andy Moor vs. M.I.K.E. - Spirit's Pulse
[April / AVA Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #10

When we say a track is ‘bassline driven’, this is what we mean. A stunning, if slightly unexpected, collaboration between two of trance’s hottest properties, threw out this prog-electro masterpiece.
12. Andrew Bayer – From The Earth (Breakfast Remix)
[October / Anjunabeats]
Chosen By: Chris Newell [The Chris Newell Podcast] & & Ally Auld

Featuring on Anjunabeats Vol. 8 in 2010, this seemed to take forever to come out yet finally made its mark in 2011. Fellow podcaster, Chris Newell, said this contained many memories for him, well, since Above & Beyond played it at Cream’s birthday celebrations in tribute to Steve Jobs, it holds a few for me too.

13. Dennis Sheperd - Cocoon
[May / Enhanced Progressive]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 9
Position in Top 40: #30

Dennis Sheperd was another man making big waves in 2011, releasing an artist album and countless great remixes. Despite not featuring on A Tribute To Life, this was my favourite Sheperd production of the year and it’s everything a great prog-trance record should be.

14. Bobina & Betsie Larkin – You Belong To Me
[February / Maelstrom Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 3 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #3

Being fully captivated by this Betsie Larkin vocal from the very start of the year, I played just about every version there was to play of this on The Phil-Harmonic Podcast. The original though has chords in the breakdown that are nothing short of a mind-fuck.

15. DJ Governor - Pale Memories
[January / Armind]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 1 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #6

Sneaking into 2011 on the 3rd of Jan, this was a criminally underrated and quickly forgotten return for Orjan Nilsen’s DJ Governor moniker. Very reminiscent of personal all-time favourite, Arctic Globe, and a definite precursor to Between The Rays later in the year.

16. Paul Oakenfold – Full Moon Party
[August / Perfecto Fluoro]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 16 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #25
Chosen By: Sam Hind [Underground Selections]

A real full-blooded tune that gave more than a nod to the Oakenfold of old. The powerful psychedelic bassline and uplifting riff was a great smelting of old trance ideas and the more up-to-date, crisp and rounded production styles.

17. John Waver - Athene (Newton Remix)
[April / Trance All-Stars Records]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #13

One of those rare beasts that makes every single hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Haunting, melancholic yet do damn uplifting; a perfect example of how trance is supposed to work its magic.

18. Michael Dow – Desert Storm
[July / Slinky Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 16
Chosen By: Asko Huuki [Quethas]

Very similar in style and sound to Oakenfold’s Full Moon Party, this brought an added Arabian feel to the table. This has a hugely effective breakdown where the riff first bubbles and then bursts.

19. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – A Thing Called Love (Club Mix)
[June / Anjunabeats]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 8
Position in Top 40: #21

Having already spent the second half of last year listening to Anjunabeats Vol. 8 and absolutely rinsing this record on the iPod, I was hoping to put this in my That Was 2010 mix. It FINALLY came out in the summer of 2011 and hearing it in countless sets in Ibiza reignited this track for me.

20. Running Man – Eastern Sun (Sean Truby Remix)
[May / Infrasonic Future]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 10 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #16

Running Man was an emerging star of the uplifting branch in 2011 and Sean Truby gave this excellent riff the once over to produce this euphoria-fest. Very big!

21. Sunny Lax – Always (Matt Skyer Remix)
[May / Monster Digital]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 9 (Tune Of The Episode)
Position in Top 40: #20

A typically gorgeous piano line from Sunny Lax turns into a driving, powerful melody in this excellent Matt Skyer rework.

22. Daniel Kandi & Phillip Alpha - If It Ain't Broke
[March / Enhanced Recordings]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 7
Position in Top 40: #12

'If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is the adage and this track proved without doubt that the Daniel Kandi formula needs no fixing. A bittersweet melody that just rolls along blissfully, accompanied by angelic pianos – close to perfect uplifting trance music.

23. Agulo feat. David Berkeley - Fire Sign (Suncatcher Remix)
[March / Enhanced Recordings]
Chosen By: Ben Collier [Room 1ne Sessions] & Ally Auld

A very distinctive vocal and the usual solid remixing skills of Romanian producer, Suncatcher, this was a very big favourite of both Ben and Ally. It seemed only right to include it.

24. Ben Nicky feat. Cassandra Fox – The One (Daniel Kandi Remix)
[September / Monster Tunes]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 18
Chosen By: Ally Auld

Another very popular record from 2011, a Cassandra Fox vocal that made a big impact. This could quite easily have made my own Top 40 – so, into the Year Mix it went.

25. Ben Gold – Pandemic
[May / Garuda]
Chosen By: Dušan Polek

A very full sounding bassline (a la his remix of Brace Yourself) and one of those catchy, looping riffs. Another solid big room tune from the London-based prodigy.

26. Gareth Emery Feat. Mark Frisch – Into The Light (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)
[November / Garuda]
Featured In TPHP: Episode 20

This mix appeared to be running slightly short of the 2 and half hour mark so, for good measure, I threw on this version of Into The Light and, in retrospect, it’s a much better way to end the Year Mix. M.O.R.P.H. just seems to have a habit of making decent tunes into goddamn epic ones and this is no exception.

-----------------------

Well, that’s it for now. Part 2 swings your way in less than a week – on Xmas Eve. Catch your breath and I’ll see you then!

The Phil-Harmonic Podcast Episode 21 - The Xmas Stocking Filler 2011

Season’s greetings one and all.

Season’s greetings, Phil? Already? On the 4th of December? You know, I more than most hate the way in which Christmas is forced upon us earlier and earlier every year. But our work Christmas party was on Friday and I am already starting to panic slightly about Christmas shopping, so attention is beginning to turn to all things festive. And this week’s podcast is my extended Christmas gift to everyone I know that isn’t a rampant trance-head like myself – something for those of you who find my usual offerings a little too full on or intense to rock around your Christmas tree to. This week’s mix comes from the more accessible echelons of house music.

And ‘accessibility’ is the key word here. Drafting and redrafting, compiling this tracklist seemed to take forever and I laboured hard to make sure there was plenty going on that even the most casual of music fans should recognise. Vocally, The Jam, Faithless, Eurythmics, Simply Red, Bob Marley and The Doobie Brothers all make an appearance in some form or another. While that is supplemented by all the usual house heavy-weights – like Wolfgang Gartner, Afrojack, Avicii, Klaas, Swedish House Mafia, Fedde Le Grand, Sidney Samson and Benny Benassi.

House music seems to have made one of its cyclical moves towards mainstream popularity in 2011 and, while a good deal of the house music that gets picked up on for daytime radio playlists ranges from average to goddamn awful, I’ve handpicked as much material that genuinely falls under those ‘big’ and ‘popular’ brackets as I possibly can. In the end, I’ve tried to get a balance between house music that I’ve loved in 2011 – following up from my Ibiza Loves House Music episode in the summer – and records that I know people will recognise. And hopefully there’s also a good balance between tracks that will have you up and rocking and tracks that will just paint a cheesy festive smile on your face. Nothing too serious. Just good ‘feel good’ house music.

This 2 and half hour marathon opens with an incredibly daft song that I heard 3 or 4 months ago on the We Love Ibiza podcast. After pissing myself laughing listening to it in the car on the way to work, I listened to it on repeat till lunchtime. A perfect tongue-in-cheek start to proceedings I thought. After that we have a nice blend of deep, funky and filter house – perfect for the early stages of those Christmas house parties. That includes the rolling disco grooves of Nora En Pure’s Spicy and the vocal driven masterpiece that is Something Good’s Ride.

After about 40 mins we start to pick up the pace. There are more tongue-in-cheek vibes courtesy of Rodeo by Mattias & G80s and the inescapable We No Speak Americano. To be honest, the latter is a huge tune that I did start to get sick of hearing on Radio One as it was massively overplayed. But in the context of what this mix is all about, I had to include it. There’s also the very distinctive I Like by Klaas & Bodybangers, a tune that isn’t only a bit of a guilty pleasure for me personally but a tune I thought more mainstream music fans would enjoy for its sassy vocal and infectious bassline.

After an hour and 20 of warming up good and proper, the mix explodes into some higher octane club music, starting with Adrian Lux & Blende’s remix of Worldwide. That was a tune I heard in Adrian Lux’s guest mix on Sander Van Doorn’s Identity show and had me grinning from ear to ear. Truth be told, I was very close to including that one in my overall Year Mixes. Of the tunes remaining, the most recognisable are the Zedd remix of Swedish House Mafia’s 2011 single, Save The World – the original a big tune at this year’s Creamfields I hear – and Laidback Luke’s rework of Benny Benassi’s Cinema – my favourite record from my most played Xbox game of 2011, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit. Not that I’ve had the time to play much Xbox these days.

Tune of the episode was a very difficult pick this time around. I was very close to giving it to Worldwide but after listening back to this set a few times in the office, I decided it was actually Marcus Schossow’s new version of Red Carpet – Alright that was the record that had THE lot - the vocal, the beats, the bassline, the chords, the euphoria, the filthiness. And that’s why it gets my vote. Maybe a bit of my trance bias coming out there but it is a special record.

When I posted my Ibiza Loves House Music episode back in July I did stress how much out of my trance comfort zone I feel when mixing house music. And once again, with that in mind, I’m delighted with how this episode has turned out, especially given that it is so long. I suppose that is testament to the fact that I am improving, as well as beginning to fully appreciate just how much careful planning and harmonic track choice can help you along. There is a musical journey to be had here; a journey I just wouldn’t have been able to pull off 12 months ago. The first time I listened to this set back in the office, it was the shortest 2 and half hours of my life. That, more than anything, has to be a good sign.

Oh, and apologies for this week’s horrifically red festive artwork against the usual blue and purple of the blog. If I don’t pleasure your ears, I’ll at least ruin your eyes!!


THE PHIL-HARMONIC PODCAST 021 - THE XMAS STOCKING FILLER 2011

1. The 2 Bears - Bear Hug [Southern Fried Records]
2. Sons Of Maria - More Jazz [Enormous Tunes]
3. Nora En Pure - Spicy [Enormous Tunes]
4. TJR - One Love [Peak Hour Music]
5. Crazibiza - Eastchester [Hugh Recordings]
6. Ministry Of Funk - Money [Muzik X Press]
7. Something Good – Ride [Nocturnal Groove]
8. Mattias & G80s - Rodeo (Dub Mix) [Molto Recordings]
9. Manuel De La Mare, Lissat & Voltaxx – Club Around The World (David Amo & Julio Navas Remix) [HotFingers]
10. Klaas & Bodybangers - I Like (Klaas Mix) [Kontor Records]
11. John Dahlbäck – Are You Nervous [Spinnin' Records]
12. Truelove - Rock The Casbah [Chic Flowerz Digitalic]
13. Matt Caseli & Danny Freakazoid – Long Legs Running 2011 (Graham Sahara & Central Avenue Mix) [Spinnin' Records]
14. Yolanda Be Cool & DCup – We No Speak Americano! [Sweat It Out]
15. Joey Negro & Z Factor - Keep On Jumpin' (Luigi Rocca Remix) [Z Records]
16. Fedde Le Grand - Metrum (Manuel De La Mare Remix) [Toolroom Records]
17. Roger Sanchez feat. Mobin Master & MC Flipside - Worldwide (Adrian Lux & Blende Remix) [Stealth Records]
18. Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji – Pressure (Alesso Remix) [Spinnin' Records]
19. Afrojack & R3hab vs. Shakedown - Prutataaa At Night (Hardwell Mashup) [CDR]
20. Steve Angello vs. Faithless - KNAS Insomnia (East & Young Mashup) [CDR]
21. Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Zedd Remix) [EMI UK]
22. Red Carpet - Alright 2011 (Marcus Schössow Remix) [Spinnin' Records] <<<(Phil’s Tune Of The Episode)>>>
23. Sidney Samson feat. Tara McDonald - Dynamite (Nicky Romero Remix) [RockTheHouze]
24. Wolfgang Gartner – Illmerica [Ultra Records]
25. Lissat & Voltaxx – Young And Beautiful (Klaas & Micha Moor Remix) [Scream & Shout Recordings]
26. Wynter Gordon – Til Death (R3hab Remix) [Atlantic]
27. Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go – Cinema (Laidback Luke Remix) [D:vision Records]
28. Avicii – Sweet Dreams (Gregori Klosman Remix) [Joia Records]
29. Wolfgang Gartner – Wolfgang's 5th Symphony [We Play]
30. Tiësto – Maximal Crazy [Musical Freedom]
31. David Guetta - Little Bad Girl (Instrumental Club Mix) [F**k Me I'm Famous Records]
32. ENCORE: Nero - Guilt [More Than Alot Records]

So, what next for the podcast? We’re not done yet in 2011. All of my followers out there who were disappointed to see a tracklist of house music this week - don’t fear. My year mixes are next and by the time the second one lands, you will have had 5 hours of the year’s best trance and progressive tunes in just less than 1 week. Sit tight, keep sober and I’ll see you in 2 weeks.